1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally headphones and more specifically to headphones with enhanced voice communication.
2. Related Art
A headphone generally refers to an accessory used by users (“local users”) in conducting voice communications. Voice communications entail listening to the voice of a remote user as well as talking to the remote user. Accordingly, headphones contain one or more speakers from which the voice signal of the remote user is reproduced, and a microphone into which the local user can speak. The microphone captures the local user's voice as an appropriate signal for eventual transmission to the remote user(s), party to the voice conversation.
Headphones often also contain arrangements such as straps, molded shapes, etc., necessary to keep the speaker(s) and microphone (as well as the headphone itself) in position. Thus, the arrangements operate to place the speakers around the ear(s) of a user and a microphone near the mouth (e.g., in front of the mouth, close to jaw/neck, etc.) of the user. Accordingly, headphones may be used for telephone conversation type voice communications, without having to use hands for holding a handset, thereby freeing the hands for other tasks.
In a prior approach, headphones are often used in conjunction with other base telephone sets (e.g., a cellular phone or a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) phone), with wireless or wire-based communication being provided on a short haul (e.g., 1-30 meters) between the headphone and the base telephone set, while the base telephone set provides the connection with the telephone system of the remote users for the voice based communication. In general, the voice connection terminates at the base telephone sets, while the communication facility is provided between the headphone and the base telephone set using local protocols such as BlueTooth™, DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), etc.
It is generally desirable that headphones with enhanced voice communication be provided to users.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.